Bedding Tutorial

[Heym SR20]

Was looking for something else but this is an excellent couple of articles on Bedding.

What is Rifle Bedding?

MatchGrade Bedding Compound Instructions

 

[jordang]

I did my own bedding on a rifle a few years ago and it was surprisingly easy to make a really good job of it.

 

[labrador77]

I've got a lot of time for Nathan and his teams work, his books are well worth buying and the website is a brilliant resource.

 

[Conure]

[FONT=&quot]Pressure point bedding will usually allow a rifle to shoot groups of between 1.5 to 3" at 100 yards. This level of accuracy is adequate for close range shooting using a cold barrel but hopeless for moderate to long range shooting. Pressure point bedding is counter productive to accuracy when firing multiple shots- as the barrel heats up, it move upwards due to the force of the pressure point which results in stringing shots. On wood stocked rifles, pressure point bedding will eventually become a problem as moisture shifts the stock around.[/FONT]

Had a quick scan and saw this so quickly realised that the rest was probably biased or questionable so didn't bother with reading much further. It seems that according to the author only some synthetic material is suitable for stock bedding so I can only think that they have never had a decent and properly cured and dried walnut stock.

The rifle I shoot at the club has never had any synthetic material added to the walnut stock and as far as I am aware has not had the bedding altered or messed with since it left the factory some 60+ years ago and groups well under his stated 1 1/2 - 3 at 100 yards. My old BSA 270 also beat his claim and that too was with factory bedding in a walnut stock. The only thing that I can think of is that the author is talking about modern new production wood stocked rifles and that the quality has dropped badly in the 21st century.

 

[hybridfiat]

There are always exceptions to any rule Conure. Nathan does timber stocks too but has no time for 'pretty' stuff. I admit he is too pragmatic for most. His living relys on accuracy and dependability. The Kiwis tend to be very pragmatic in their choices of hunting rifles. By far and away the most popular are the SS Synthetic stocked light/Wt models.
A properly bedded reinforced synthetic will give better consistency than a timber stock, especcially in NZ conditions. It rains there for 8 months of the year and drips off the trees for 4.
The instructions are pretty good. He is good at making videos. Better than the tripe found on Youtube. I haven't used a bedding compoud with such low viscosity but I'm thinking of trying some of his when I bed my LE No4 MkI.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Had a quick scan and saw this so quickly realised that the rest was probably biased or questionable so didn't bother with reading much further. It seems that according to the author only some synthetic material is suitable for stock bedding so I can only think that they have never had a decent and properly cured and dried walnut stock.

The rifle I shoot at the club has never had any synthetic material added to the walnut stock and as far as I am aware has not had the bedding altered or messed with since it left the factory some 60+ years ago and groups well under his stated 1 1/2 - 3 at 100 yards. My old BSA 270 also beat his claim and that too was with factory bedding in a walnut stock. The only thing that I can think of is that the author is talking about modern new production wood stocked rifles and that the quality has dropped badly in the 21st century.

I started my apprenticeship 150 feet away from the BSA stock shop in the BSA group midland training centre aged 15 and was always passing through it if it was raining my memory is of old furts doing careful work (my milling instructor had all the drawings for a 1911 government and had almost finished it when I left, where is it now?).

 

[ejg]

The best dried wood will start gaining weight and volume if used hard in wet conditions. At least most will. This will alter pressure point tension etc. Also if one draws up pressure/forces exerted on a rifle stock under several shooting positions one will notice that a rifle with pressure point will very likely not hold the same point of impact. This is the reason why it is not done on sniper rifles nor on any sort of precision rifle that will shoot from differing positions. I don't agree on all points Nathan mentions but as a whole he seems to have done quite some research.
Just like there are only certain woods good for rifle stocks there are also only a few synthetic materials ideal to achieve consistent accuracy.
edi

 

[Conure]

The varying pressures excerted by the very tight sling used in target shooting was the reason for the Floated barrel and a properly cured and dried stock of good walnut returns like a spring unlike poorly cured and inferior quality wood. You don't get much more exposure to moisture than in a boat yet there are still those made of wood and some are more than a few years old yet remain as built.

 

[hybridfiat]

The varying pressures excerted by the very tight sling used in target shooting was the reason for the Floated barrel and a properly cured and dried stock of good walnut returns like a spring unlike poorly cured and inferior quality wood. You don't get much more exposure to moisture than in a boat yet there are still those made of wood and some are more than a few years old yet remain as built.

Nathans stock in trade is long range hunting and unfortunately many rifle stocks are not properly cured, properly inletted Walnut, much less properly cured Royal Walnut. He exhibits the mores of a person obsessed with good dependable accuracy and makes few allowances. I like timber stocks but the rifle I bought in NZ is stainless with a synthetic stock. Pragmatism again. My brother is building a timber boat (a Skiff, whatever that is) and an important part of the engineering is allowing for movement, expansion and contraction of the timber due to varying stresses and moisture. Not my bag but everyone needs a hobby.

 

[Ronin]

Having done three bedding jobs today on two models of Tikka and a Rem and looked at the links from the OP, I think there are some useful tips within the composition.

The compound used must be exceptionally runny to have to use all that masking tape (something I dont feel necessary)

The key to a good, stable, stress free pillar bedding job is careful preparation.

Once youve done a few, its pretty simple to do,,,,,

Just done the E tac 3 Edi by the way (customer wanted it bedding)

 

[ejg]

Looking forward to seeing the result Redmist.
We don't use any tape at all on the stock, just on the barrel etc. to create a gap.
If one has an epoxy with a long cure time it is easier to wipe away excess than find after curing that it crept under the tape.....
For the T3 we have virtually a free floating bedding method that is stress free. Took us a couple hundred beddings to get there.
Learn as you go.....

edi